The FAMU College of Law recently announced that 72.2 percent of its first-time examinees passed the February 2014 Florida Bar Exam. The Florida Bar Exam first-time cumulative pass rate for February 2014 was 72.9 percent. These accomplishments are significant, as FAMU College of Law students exhibited a strong performance on the exam despite a decline in Bar passage rates among Florida’s law schools over the last year. FAMU out-paced five of the 11 Florida law schools, including Barry University, the University of Florida and Nova Southeastern.

"We are very proud of the performance of our first-time exam takers," said LeRoy Pernell, dean of the College of Law. "Our standing among all Florida law schools speaks to the quality of the curriculum and academic support programs available here at the FAMU College of Law.”

Consistent with the accreditation expectations of the American Bar Association, the FAMU first-time pass rate has been within or exceeded 15 percent of the overall pass rate for the fifth consecutive exam.

“The recent Florida Bar passage rate report reflects the FAMU College of Law’s legacy of academic excellence, resilience and forward progress,” said FAMU President Elmira Mangum, Ph.D. “The university applauds our newest members of the Florida Bar, and the administrators, faculty and staff of our Orlando campus for their determination and dedication to producing the next generation of leaders in the legal field.”

According to data compiled by the American Bar Association/Law School Admissions Council, the FAMU College of Law consistently produces more African-American law graduates than any other law school in Florida. In addition, the College of Law has consistently been recognized for diversity, being named the “Most Diverse Law School in the Nation” on multiple occasions by U.S. News and World Report.

“I am extremely proud of the graduates that passed the February 2014 bar exam. Their commitment and hard work is evident in the College’s bar passage rate, which reveals that at least seven out of ten FAMU graduates passed the February 2014 bar exam on the first attempt. This is definitely something to be applauded,” said Professor Alicia Jackson, director of the Academic Success and Bar Preparation Program at the FAMU College of Law.

The FAMU College of Law was founded in 1949 on FAMU’s main campus in Tallahassee. After graduating 57 lawyers, the law school was closed by the state of Florida in 1968. The Florida Legislature voted to reopen the law school in 2000 and Orlando was selected as the location. The re-established FAMU College of Law opened its doors in 2002 and is now housed in a state-of-the-art facility in downtown Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood. The FAMU College of Law received full accreditation from the American Bar Association in July 2009.